Diagnostic tools

The main tool used for diagnosing a broken bone. This painless test uses small amounts of radiation to produce images of bones onto film. After the doctor puts the pieces of the broken bone in the right position, an x-ray can also help determine whether the bones in the arm are healing in the proper position.

Some fractures (such as stress fractures), don't show up on an x-ray until a few weeks after the bone starts hurting. An MRI is a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radio frequencies and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body. These types of tests are more sensitive than x-rays and can pick up smaller fractures before they get worse.

A painless imaging method that uses a radioactive substance to evaluate bones and determine the cause of pain or inflammation. Bone scans are also useful for detecting stress fractures and toddler’s fractures, which can be hard to see on x-rays

We are grateful to have been ranked #1 on U.S. News & World Report's list of the best children's hospitals in the nation for the fourth year in a row, an honor we could not have achieved without the patients and families who inspire us to do our very best for them. Thanks to you, Boston Children's is a place where we can write the greatest children's stories ever told.